Hi there, well after my panic with flights i have now realised that i can get a flight to trieste to get to croatia or i can get a fairy.

As i am flying into Rome and i can't get a flight into Dubrovnik or split on the day i need, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Which option do you think is the better and why?

1. Train from Rome to Ancona and ferry to Hvar/Split

OR

2. Fly to Rome to Trieste and then either drive, bus or train (if possible) to Split then dubrovnik.

Oh, and by the way, what is the best way to get from Split to Dubrovnik? Bus or Train if thats an option.

Feedback greatly appreciated!!!

I'd get a ferry and certainly not a "fairy" which is something quite different.
There's no railway along the Croatian coast, so from Trieste to Split and Dubrovnik is a long journey by road.
You can book a cabin on an overnight ship from Ancona or Bari, and be in Split or Dubrovnik first thing the next morning.

I too vote for the ferry from italy/croatia. Regarding your split/dubrovnik question I suppose it depends on how much time you have and your other plans and the time of year. We leave in a few weeks and have opted for the ferry from Dubrovnik to Split. We will not be able to spend time on an island but thought this was a leisurly way to go and still gets us close in to the islands. The bus, though shorter, we felt we lost the island views. I would have preferred to take a quicker sea route but it seems a lot of the options are still closed in May. I hear train is not an option between those cities.

Train from Rome to Ancona and ferry to Hvar/Split

There is no train on Croatian coast, and it is long way to travel.

Just to put another fly in the ointment:

You could travel from Rome to Pescara via train (3 hours) then fly from Pescara to Split for 40 Euros.

http://www.flyonair.it

Barring this, I would do the overnight ferry from Ancona.

Getting in and out of Croatia can be a pain at times, but it's so worth it!